Soft Skills in Health Sciences Education: A Scoping Review of Their Curricular Integration.

Authors

  • Juan Antonio Lugo-Machado Universidad de Sonora campus Cajeme, Ciudad Obregón Sonora, México.
  • Rosa Esmeralda Ortega Villa Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad Obregón Sonora, México. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2497-8428
  • Diana Isabel Espinoza Morales Universidad de Sonora campus Cajeme, Ciudad Obregón Sonora, México. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2629-1734
  • Salma Fernanda Fayyad Cárdenas Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad Obregón Sonora, México. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4684-737X
  • Araceli Zazueta Cárdenas Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad Obregón Sonora, México. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4690-1412
  • Alejandro Arellano Guzmán Universidad de Sonora campus Cajeme, Ciudad Obregón Sonora, México. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6819-3669
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.690921
Keywords: social skills, curriculum, attitude

Abstract

Introduction. Soft skills—such as communication, empathy, teamwork, emotional intelligence, resilience, and leadership—are essential for safe and humanized healthcare. However, their teaching and assessment within health sciences curricula remain heterogeneous and insufficiently standardized. Objective. To synthesize the available evidence from systematic reviews and scoping reviews on how soft skills are developed, taught, assessed, and integrated into health sciences education. Methods. A panoramic review of systematic reviews, mixed-methods reviews, and scoping reviews was conducted following PRISMA-ScR. Studies published between 2020 and 2025 were searched in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, Web of Science y la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS). Data extracted included intervention characteristics, targeted competencies, pedagogical strategies, evaluation methods, and outcomes. Methodological quality was assessed using JBI and AMSTAR-2, while certainty of evidence was evaluated with GRADE. Results. A total of 26 reviews were included, covering clinical communication, empathy, emotional intelligence, interprofessional education, non-technical skills, problem-based learning, resilience, and emerging technologies (virtual reality, artificial intelligence). Most interventions—based on simulation, active learning, PBL, and supervised practice—reported consistent improvements in key soft skills and, in some cases, positive effects on patient-related outcomes. However, the evidence shows substantial methodological heterogeneity, limited use of validated assessment tools, and reliance on quasi-experimental designs. Conclusion. Current evidence supports the structured and longitudinal integration of soft skills into health sciences curricula. Nevertheless, further progress is needed in developing shared conceptual frameworks, implementing validated assessment approaches, and producing robust studies that link soft skills training with clinical, organizational, and professional well-being outcomes.

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Published
05-01-2026
How to Cite
Lugo-Machado, J. A., Ortega Villa, R. E., Espinoza Morales, D. I., Fayyad Cárdenas , S. F., Zazueta Cárdenas, A., & Arellano Guzmán , A. (2026). Soft Skills in Health Sciences Education: A Scoping Review of Their Curricular Integration. Spanish Journal of Medical Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.690921
Issue
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Spanish Journal of Medical Education
Section
Reviews

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